For a group project at university we chose to use Java and Java3D. Java3D is one of the implementations of 3D graphics available for Java. It works through OpenGL and is around 25% slower than pure C via OGL. This means that speed isn’t a problem; we are only using it for a university project and polygon counts are low. Java3D, however, has a much more insidious problem: it leaks memory like hell.

This is a test post for the new RSS feed. I’ve decided to generate the RSS feed when posting a new item, rather than each time the RSS feed is hit. I’ve done this for a couple of reasons:

• Reduces the load on the server: the RSS feed is probably automatically hit by feed readers more often than the front page, therefore it makes sense to generate it statically.
  
• It is recognised as an XML file by browsers. As I can’t send the ASP file as an XML document (I don’t have control of the server), browsers just saw a load of gobbledegook when a user tried to load the RSS feed. Now it has an XSL transformed applied to it by browsers that explains what an RSS feed is and how to use one. I think this provides a better user experience.
  

Hopefully this post will work!

I eat quite a lot of bread — being a student it is a quick, simple and easy snack in its many forms — so, quite depressingly really, I found this article on why bread these days just doesn’t taste the same as the bread of yesteryear quite an interesting read.

One of the main take home points is that supermarkets here in the UK are actually loosing money on their cheap bread and other foods, and therefore charging higher margins on other items. But it isn’t the unhealthy ready meals (for example) that get this surcharge, oh no:

Song of the Week

Even though I haven't written much recently, a week has gone by since the last SotW and so I feel compelled to post a new one.

A while ago I wrote about a gig we went to. The Black Keys. We liked them rather a lot. I thought I’d bring them up again for Song of the Week so that those of you who haven’t tried them out can have a listen. So far, pretty much every listener has been converted to the Black Keys’ cause: I’m fairly confident you’ll like this track.

As to why I haven’t been posting so much:

I have a project due in next week that is worth one third of the year so that is (not surprisingly) filling my time to full right now. Posting should go up after the project is over and done with.

After the project, however, exams are going to present themselves, so don’t expect prolific posts for a while yet!